As any Las Vegas Real Estate Agent hosting an open house event can tell you, that is the time when many questions are asked by visitors. Although most questions are relevant some are very revealing as to the type of potential buyer this person might be.

How long has this place been on the market? The question reveals that this person may be looking to low-ball the seller based on the idea that if the house has not sold in some unspecified period of time, the owner is probably desperate.

What is the tax appraisal on this property? As though they can accurately formulate an offer to the seller based on that figure. The disparity in tax appraisals from one property to the next, even in the same neighborhood, can be maddening to decipher at times.

Has the house been inspected? Apparently this person, or these people, are not aware that they would need a new inspection of their own if they plan on purchasing the property.

Why are they moving? Not always a relevant question. If this is the house you want, and it can be purchased at a fair price, and passes inspection with flying colors, that’s all you need to know.

Obviously the question of why the seller is moving is asked to find out how motivated the seller is. The seller may also be aware that revealing the true reason for moving might weaken the seller’s bargaining position.

How much did they originally pay for the house? That’s a really silly and totally irrelevant question. What if the house was purchased fifteen or twenty years ago? All the potential buyer needs to know is what is the true and current fair market value of the home. The reason a person may ask this question is that some buyers really resent the idea that the seller is going to profit from the sale. Strange but true.

I’m not sure what I am really looking for, but I’ll know when I see it. Can we just drive around and look at some properties? That question requires an educated and tactful answer.

Certainly, no one wants to discourage a potential client –who, of course is no being represented by any other agent- but this person needs to be made to understand that he/she should sit down with paper and pen and do some soul-searching. The client should be told to consult with family members as to what is important in a home versus what would be nice but not a must, budgetary limitations, time frame, current housing situation, etc.

The client should be made to understand that just driving around in the “hope” that the ideal property can be found would prove a waste of everyone’s time.

Providing a well thought out list, the client should be told, will increase the chances of finding the ideal home in Las Vegas the shortest time, since the agent will examine the list and then choose the properties to visit that are closest in line to what the client would want.

For further information about purchasing a home in Las Vegas, call North American Realty of Nevada at 702-376-0088.

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About the Author

Tony Sena is broker/owner of Shelter Realty in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more than a decade Tony and his partners have provided residential real estate and property management services to sellers, buyers, investors, and property owners in the Las Vegas Valley. A Las Vegas native and former police officer for the City of Henderson, Tony brings to the table a unique local perspective that continues to serve his clients well.